Aesthetic medicine includes all treatments resulting in enhancing a visual appearance and satisfaction of the patient. Patients want to minimize all imperfections including body shape and effects of natural aging. Indeed, patients request quick, non-invasive procedures providing satisfactory results with minimal risks.
The most common methods used for non-invasive aesthetic applications are based on application of mechanical waves, e.g. ultrasound or shock wave therapy; or electromagnetic waves, e.g. radiofrequency treatment or light treatment, such as intense pulsed light or laser treatment. The effect of mechanical waves on tissue is based especially on cavitation, vibration and/or heat inducing effects. The effect of applications using electromagnetic waves is based especially on heat production in the biological structure. However the currently used treatment methods are used separately.
A mechanical treatment using mechanical waves and/or pressure were used for treatment of cellulite or adipose cells. However, mechanical treatment includes several drawbacks such as risk of a panniculitis and/or non-homogenous result.
A thermal treatment is applied to the patient for enhancing a visual appearance of the skin by e.g. increasing production of collagen and/or elastin, smoothing the skin or reduction of cellulite and/or adipose cell. However, thermal treatment includes several drawbacks such as risk of overheating a patient or even causing a thermal damage to the patient, risk of a panniculitis and/or non-homogenous result.
The mechanical and/or the thermal treatment is not able to provide enhanced visual appearance of a muscle, e.g. muscle shaping, toning and/or volumization effect. Mechanical treatment and/or the thermal treatment includes several drawbacks such as risk of a panniculitis, non-homogenous result and others.
Current magnetic methods are limited in key parameters which do not allow satisfactory enhancement of visual appearance. As a result, new methods are needed to enhance the visual appearance of the patient.
Existing devices have low efficiency and they waste energy, which limits their use. Eddy currents induced within the magnetic field generating device create engineering challenges. Existing devices contain magnetic field generating devices which are made of metallic strips, electric wires or hollow conductors. Since the therapy requires large currents, significant losses are caused by induced eddy currents within the magnetic field generating device. Eddy currents lead to production of unwanted heat and therefore there is need to sufficiently cool the magnetic field generating device. Also, the energy source must be protected during reverse polarity of resonance. This requires using protective circuits which consume significant amounts of energy. Skin tissue is composed of three basic elements: epidermis, dermis and hypodermis or so called subcutis. The outer and also the thinnest layer of skin is the epidermis. The dermis consists of collagen, elastic tissue and reticular fibers. The hypodermis is the lowest layer of the skin and contains hair follicle roots, lymphatic vessels, collagen tissue, nerves and also fat forming a subcutaneous white adipose tissue (SWAT). The adipose cells create lobules which are bounded by connective tissue, fibrous septa (retinaculum cutis).
Another part of adipose tissue, so called visceral fat, is located in the peritoneal cavity and forms visceral white adipose tissue (VWAT) located between parietal peritoneum and visceral peritoneum, closely below muscle fibers adjoining the hypodermis layer.
The currently used aesthetic applications don't provide any treatment combining the effect of time-varying magnetic field treatment and conventional treatment method, e.g. treatment by thermal treatment and/or mechanical treatment. The currently used thermal treatment includes many adverse events such as non-homogenous temperature distribution, panniculitis, insufficient blood and/or lymph flow during and/or after the treatment. Additionally several adverse event such as panniculitis may occur after the treatment. Further the treatment may be painful so that a topical anesthetic is recommended.
The development of new aesthetic treatment methods providing improved results in shorter time periods is needed.